Flipped Side of a Coin
by Amyante
Summary: Alternate storyline to DBZ... I decided i wasn't going to get around to finishing this one, so i've put up what i hadn't so far... I've been holding out too: chapter count has doubled!
1. The Battle Ends

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dragon ball, DBZ or DBGT. If I did, you'd be watching this on TV, now wouldn't you ;)  
  
Note: The Tournament is held in the old Red Ribbon Base, southwest of Korrin's Tower.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
The stadium where the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai Tournament was held shook with the power that Piccolo, the demon king, was gathering for his attack on Goku. Krillin, Bulma, Yamcha, Tien, Kushami (blonde Launch) and Kami edged back, shielding themselves from the gusts of wind, generated by the massive intake of energy that Piccolo was putting into his attack. Krillin, Yamcha and Tien put their ki into a shield surrounding the group, protecting them from the debris that now flew in all directions.  
  
Krillin was the first to look up, quickly followed by the rest, and all they could do was just stare. Sensing how devastating the blast would be, everyone knew they'd never survive even if they weren't the ones Piccolo aimed at. Krillin looked at Yamcha, who nodded back at him, understanding they had to follow the backup plan they had devised among themselves as soon as Piccolo showed up in case this would happen.  
  
"Yamcha," Krillin yelled, "get that shelter ready while I try to talk Goku out of this!!"  
  
"Yeah I'm on it!" Yamcha replied, and then looked at the ancient Guardian of the Earth " Kami, take care of Bulma. Tien, check on Launch."  
  
Kami nodded, then tried to calm the now panicking women (A/N: Sorry about that, ladies *grins*) and put a hand on Bulma's shoulder. Bulma, believing that her final moments on Earth had come, whipped around, looking directly into Kami's face. That was the last thing she saw, before her frayed nerves gave out, and she fell unconscious.   
  
Kushami just sat on the ground, shaking in a state of pure shock. She had seen enough Kamehameha waves to make an estimate of the power that Piccolo's blast held, and for once she wished she could just turn into her dark-haired alter ego, who she believed would be ignorant enough not to care that she was about to be blown from the face of the planet by the son of the evil twin of God himself. She gathered all of her remaining strength, and managed to stand up before Tien got to her. She still had her pride, but at that time she envied her child-like counterpart. Ignorance is bliss.  
  
Yamcha fired a small beam into the ground, forming a bunker to shelter them from the energy attack they knew could be completed any second now. Meanwhile, Krillin got as close to Goku as he could without losing control over the Ki shield they had put up among them. Kami added his power to the shield, so Krillin could attempt to talk Goku out of blocking Piccolo's attack without fear that the shield might dissipate. It took nearly all of their combined power to keep the shield up, so they had to remain close together in order to maintain their focus on it.  
  
"GOKU, that's WAY too powerful, take him out NOW while you still can!!" Krillin shouted at his best friend.  
  
"Nah, I can take this," Goku replied, a smile on his face, "just make sure the others are all right, 'kay?"   
  
"No Goku," Krillin pleaded, "this isn't a training spar! He's trying to kill you, you big fool!"  
  
"Relax Krillin, this is all going to work out," Goku replied, still smiling a confident smile at the desperate face of his best training buddy. He winked at him, "Trust me."  
  
Now finally admitting to himself that Goku could not be convinced otherwise, he stepped back, intent on getting everyone in the shelter. Yamcha had picked up the unconscious Bulma in his arms, who, much to his discomfort, had her head lying against his chest. Tien on the other hand, was supporting a weak-kneed Kushami, who vainly tried to walk to the shelter by herself, claiming she 'didn't need any help'. By the look on her face, it was clear she was also trying to convince herself that.  
  
Then, all grew quiet. The quiet before the storm...   
  
Piccolo's attack had been completed. One look up was enough to send the group scrambling towards the hideout with surprising agility and vigor. Once inside, Kami used some of his ki to make a glowing ball, to use as a light. They braced themselves for what they knew was about to come...  
  
Meanwhile, Goku tried to sense the might of the blast he knew would soon be headed this way and suddenly realised it was more powerful than he had expected it to be. He could still block it, but only in his best defensive stance. He saw the face of the demon king, grinning an evil grin at him, and returned it with a confident smile of his own.  
  
"I'd hate to disappoint you Piccolo, but that attack isn't enough to defeat me. I've gotten stronger since I fought your father, Daimao" Goku said.  
  
"I know you're strong, Goku, but Daimao had but a fraction of my power," Piccolo replied, "a power you shall soon be witnessing..."  
  
'Something's up,' Goku thought, 'he knows that attack isn't powerful enough if I can block it'  
  
Piccolo smiled as he fired the beam.  
  
An instant. A fraction of a second, so small Goku would've missed it if he weren't looking for it, Piccolo's eyes flicked to about thirty feet to Goku's left. Goku glanced in that direction and knew why Piccolo smiled.  
  
'NO!! What's Chi-Chi doing here!!' Goku mentally screamed to himself. From the corner of his eye, he saw the beam of the demon king change course, now heading directly towards Chi-Chi, who was clutching her gi as if it was her last hope for sanity. In a desperate move, Goku flung himself at his fiancée to save her. Goku gave her a hard shove towards the shelter in midair. He applied all of his speed to turn himself to block Piccolo's beam, but then he realised he was too late.  
  
The beam speared through his chest and the last thing Goku saw before his vision turned black, was seeing Krillin pull Chi-Chi towards the shelter. The last thing he remembered in his life, was that he wore a smile... 


	2. Sacrifice

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dragonball Z, nor any other anime show... Else i wouldn't have time to write this fic ^_^  
  
Chapter 2  
  
---===***===---  
  
Meanwhile, in the shelter, everyone was intent on bracing him or herself for the blast. Bulma had regained consciousness with the help of Kami, while the warriors were sensing the power levels outside. When they noticed a grinding sound of something that appeared to be heading towards their shelter, they tried to sense what it was.  
  
"Wait a second, isn't that Chi-Chi's Ki signature?" Tien asked.  
  
"Hey you're right, we couldn't sense her before because she was too close to Goku to pick it up." Yamcha said, "Man, I forgot all about her, she hasn't left Goku's side for most of the Tournament!"  
  
"Okay, I'll go get her in here," Krillin told them. "Stay here guys, I'll be right back."  
  
'All right Krillin' he thought to himself, 'Time to show them I can be as brave as Goku...' Krillin thought. When he reached the exit, he suddenly wished he didn't.  
  
Krillin gulped as he noticed the blast was already underway and that it would be hitting Goku any time now. He soon realised he had little time left and launched himself at Chi-Chi's body, now out cold from shock. Sweating from stress, Krillin started to drag her into the shelter.  
  
That was when the blast exploded.  
  
To Krillin, it seemed like time itself slowed down. He could sense the shockwave beginning to form and he knew he'd never reach the shelter in time if he took Chi-Chi with him. Krillin looked down at him and felt himself fill up with emotions he never knew before he met Goku.  
  
Bravery. Courage. Determination.  
  
Summoning up his strength, drawing on these powers, he lifted Chi-Chi's body off the ground and flung her into the opening of the shelter. As the shockwave hit him, nearly ripping his body in two, he saw her sliding safely into the opening of the shelter. Krillin smiled. When the fireball from the explosion hit his wrecked body, a tear slid across his cheek. He didn't stop smiling though, for the last thought to enter his mind was:  
  
'Look at me Goku, I'm a hero too now.'  
  
---===***===---  
  
At the same moment Yamcha and Tien noticed a human body skidding into the shelter, it seemed the entire planet shook violently. Being prepared for this, the remaining fighters raised a shield to support the shelter, so that it wouldn't collapse on them, while Kami healed Chi-Chi's wounds. When the tremors stopped, everyone looked at each other, knowing they survived. Relief was short-lived, however, as they knew Piccolo was also still alive. Their only luck was that the entrance collapsed and the dust and debris blown up from the blast camouflaged the entrance.  
  
"G-guys," Bulma said shakingly, "how is Goku? H-he's okay, isn't he?"  
  
She felt desperation overcome her by what she could read in the eyes of the Z Fighters, a group of the most powerful people she knew.  
  
Defeat.  
  
"I felt Goku die, Bulma," Yamcha said hesitatingly, "Krillin's gone too. I'm sorry."  
  
Bulma collapsed like a rag, crying, against the shelter's wall, her hopes shattered. She was grateful when she passed out again.  
  
"Okay people, we STILL need to get out of here before Piccolo blows up this shelter." Kushami said, biting back her own tears. "I'll be damned if I let him kill me without a fight!"  
  
"If you kill me," Kami said, "Piccolo will die with me and you could leave safely."  
  
Tien shook his head, saying, "No, Piccolo knows this and by sensing our ki he'd know where we are. Besides, none of us are strong enough to kill you suppressed."  
  
"The entrance may be hidden, but as soon as we blast out Piccolo would be on to us." Kami said, "You must stay close to me so he can't use powerful energy beams without fear of killing me too."  
  
Tien looked up at the shelter's ceiling, apparently making a decision he did not like. When he turned back to the group, he spoke:  
  
"Piccolo has been weakened by that blast. I want you all to run as fast as you can while I fight him."  
  
"NO!!" Kushami screamed, "I've lost the only friends I have in this world, I don't want to lose you too."  
  
Kushami walked up to Tien, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I won't lose you too..."  
  
Tien lifted her head up to meet his gaze and was surprised to see tears beginning to form in her eyes. He never thought he would see Kushami cry. He returned the embrace and whispered:  
  
"I don't want to see you get hurt, Kushami, are you sure you want to do this?"  
  
She nodded, saying, "Running was never meant for me. When I go, it'll be by your side, no matter what the odds might be."  
  
"Side by side?" Tien offered.  
  
"Side by side." Kushami answered.  
  
Their lips touched each other for a second, and then they stepped apart.  
  
Tien turned his head towards the others and asked: "Are you people ready?"  
  
When he was sure everybody was, he turned his head back to Kushami.  
  
"How about you, partner?" he asked, smiling.  
  
"Okay partner," Kushami nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek, "let's go teach that thing not to mess with us."  
  
She checked the clip of an automatic rifle that seemed to have appeared out of thin air and walked towards the exit with Tien, hand in hand.  
  
Kami held Bulma and Chi-Chi in his arms, while Yamcha was intent on blocking any attacks heading their way. Kami's life might be linked to Piccolo, but that didn't mean he couldn't be knocked unconscious. If Piccolo managed to imprison Kami again, things would turn out VERY bad.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
========================================================================================  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N  
  
Well that sums it up for chapter 2 ;) I have to be honest tho, this was a difficult chapter for me to write... Every time i had Krillin sound like he worshipped Goku or something in stead of the friendly rivalry they had at the end of original DB...   
  
Anywayz, be sure to tell me what you think... Love it? Hate it? Hate me for killing off your fave char? Won't know if you don't review *Naga laugh* 


	3. The Escape

Chapter 3  
  
Tien and Kushami looked at each other before started the countdown.   
  
"3"  
  
Kami shifted his grip on the two people under his care.  
  
"2"  
  
Tien and Kushami squeezed each other's hand, smiling.  
  
"1"  
  
Yamcha carefully powered up a bit to blast open the entrance.  
  
"NOW!"  
  
Yamcha fired a cone-shaped blast at the rubble, so that everything would be blown outward. They needed every opportunity they got to get out of that shelter.  
  
Tien flew up at an angle at Piccolo, attempting to catch him off guard. It failed. Piccolo had been expecting them and was matching Tien blow for blow, while not even fully recovered from firing that blast. Tien was going into an all-out attack, but barely scored a hit. What made things worse, was that he could feel Piccolo's power increasing as he recovered his lost power...   
  
From the corner of his eye, he saw Kami and Yamcha making a break for the forests nearby, their power levels suppressed so they wouldn't be noticed. Tien shifted his attack pattern so Piccolo was facing them with his back. However, the incessant attacks were draining his power, and Piccolo scored a direct hit in Tien's gut, sending him flying back about twenty feet. When Tien regained control, he saw Piccolo prepare a blast he knew he'd have a hard time countering.   
  
"Ma... Sen..."  
  
Kushami had had Piccolo in her sights the whole time, but Tien was flying too close to get a clear shot in. When she saw him get hit and Piccolo prepare a blast, she knew this was her chance. She had picked her heaviest calibre automatic rifle, with uranium tipped rounds. She fired a barrage of bullets at Piccolo, having surprise on her side, as he didn't sense her low power level.  
  
While this wasn't enough to kill, or even hurt him, his concentration had been disturbed enough for him to dissipate most of the blast before it was complete. He angrily shot what remained of it in Kushami's general direction, before turning his attention back to Tien. The ball impacted fifteen feet from where Kushami stood, the shockwave throwing her to the ground, dazed and temporarily unable to fight.  
  
Tien used the time bought by Kushami to recover, feeling a sense of pride at her being able to stand up to Piccolo, the demon king, without fear or hesitation. When he saw him fire the blast at her, he immediately fired a compact beam of his own, severing Piccolo's right arm.   
  
'This is my chance.' Tien thought as he saw the limb falling to the ground. He then engaged in hand-to-hand combat again, knowing he had an advantage still having both his arms. He was still scoring few hits, although he was doing better than before. This continued for a while and slowly, Tien was getting the upper hand. Suddenly, he noticed Piccolo preparing to fire another blast. Tien looked at his side, and saw Piccolo holding an energy ball in his hand.  
  
His right hand.  
  
"How...?" Tien thought out loud, just before it exploded against his chest.   
  
"I can regrow lost limbs, didn't you know?" Piccolo answered him, as he backed up his energy attack with a vicious combo of punches and kicks.  
  
Kushami shook the dizziness from her head and looked up to where Tien and Piccolo were, just in time to see Tien soar to the ground by a nasty elbow from Piccolo. Tien hit the ground hard, making a crater, and Kushami rushed to him as fast as she could. Piccolo was preparing another energy blast.  
  
"Hey partner," Tien said faintly, "I don't think I can fight anymore."  
  
"MA..."   
  
"Don't worry," Kushami told him, smiling, "like I said, I won't leave you."  
  
"SEN..."  
  
They took each other's hand and squeezed it gently  
  
"KO!!"  
  
As the blast approached them, they looked each other in the eyes, knowing they'd be together.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
============================================================================================  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N  
  
Okie that's the last few kills for at least a number of chapters... To be honest, i originally wanted to make the fic start here, with Yamcha fleeing into the forest with the women (in DB he would have loved this, but i disgress)   
  
However, that would have lead to everyone thinking "What? Goku died? But he can't die, he's the strongest in the universe..." and half-expecting to have him show up at one point or another *rolls eyes*  
  
Oh and sorry about the chapter being shorter than usual... like i said the past three chapters were added later so this is more or less the last part of the intro :P  
  
Anyway, until next time,  
  
Amyante ^_^ 


	4. Awakenings

DISCLAIMER: Blah blah *insert some random babbling about the only dbz thing i own would be thuis fanfic* ^_^  
  
Chapter 4  
  
The trees in the outer edges of the forest shook by the force of the blast that had claimed another two lives. Yamcha looked from behind a row of trees and sighed.  
  
'Thank you, Tien and Launch,' he thought, 'we escaped safely.'  
  
He turned back to the others, examining the small group of people they had left. Kami was, for the second time, helping Bulma and Chi-Chi regain consciousness. He sighed. Kami was a healer, which meant that although he was a valuable addition to the party, his fighting skills were seriously lacking. His once being one with Piccolo could be an edge though, and every edge they could get their hands on they got. Bulma was, he grudgingly admitted, the brains. She could outsmart any one of them, yet, also, not a fighter. With Chi-Chi still shaken by what happened, that left him as the only warrior in the group. Since his skills were honed in the desert, where there wasn't much room to hide, his survival skills should keep them unnoticed.   
  
"Okay, right now we're safe," he said as he approached his two companions, "but we need to think up a plan. Any ideas?"  
  
"Korrin's Tower and my Lookout are off-limits." Kami said, "That's undoubtedly where Piccolo is now, since he'll be looking for me."  
  
"True. Hey Bulma," Chi-Chi said, "Isn't Capsule Corp HQ in the nearby city?"  
  
"Huh? What?" Bulma said, getting her bearings, "Yeah, it's in the Western Capitol, east of here, why?"  
  
"Well we need a base of operations," Yamcha said, "and besides, that's where your lab is. Maybe we can find a way to stop Piccolo."  
  
"Hey you're right," Chi-Chi said, "and we can meet up with the others there!"  
  
Yamcha only nodded, because he knew that if he tried to speak his voice would give him the lie. If he were to give Chi-Chi the news that they were the only survivors of the group who witnessed the battle between Goku and Piccolo, he'd tell her when they wouldn't be out in the open like this.  
  
The four of them stood up, and started their journey eastwards, towards Capsule Corp.  
  
---===***===---  
  
Chiaotzu woke up in a soft bed, feeling like he fell off of a mountain. He looked down on his body and noticed all of his wounds (and there were quite a lot of them) had been neatly bandaged. When he attempted to get out of bed, he felt a bit light-headed, like he lost a large amount of blood. Carefully, so as not to become dizzier, he lay back down, thinking on what happened that he ended up in here.  
  
The Tenkaichi Budokai. He was fighting some strange cyborg, which looked vaguely like his old sensei, the Crane Master. They got into a fighting stance. When the gong was sounded, signalling that the preliminary battle was to begin, the cyborg blurred from vision and it seemed to Chiaotzu like something was trying to pound him through the floor. The last thing he remembered before passing out was hearing one of the Budokai officials shouting he should be transported to a hospital.  
  
"So that's where I am," Chiaotzu mumbled, pressing his hand against his head, "No wonder I didn't recognise this place."  
  
He stretched out his senses, but much to his surprise couldn't find any of his friends. The dizziness faded a bit, making it possible for him to focus his sight, and get his bearings. He got out of bed and walked into the hallway, to find someone who could fill him in on what had happened.  
  
"I see you're finally awake," a man's voice said, "but then again, you've been out cold for the past two days."  
  
Chiaotzu turned his head quickly to see who spoke, and immediately regretted it. The dizziness slammed home in his head and his knees almost gave way from under him. He put a hand to his head and looked at the one who spoke, turning his head slowly this time.   
  
"Although not completely recovered yet," the doctor added with a smile, "still, I'm impressed. Most people with wounds like those don't get up during the first week. Hi, I'm doctor Garudo"  
  
"Pleased to meet you, I'm Chiaotzu. Wait..." Chiaotzu managed, "did you say I was out for two days?"  
  
"Yep, you're lucky you were one of the first to be brought in." Garudo replied, "It's been madness ever since."  
  
"What's happened then?" Chiaotzu asked, alarmed, "What do you mean, one of the first?"  
  
"I don't know what happened," Garudo said, "but we've got a lot of wounded people coming in because of the recent earthquakes from that area. The Earthquake Shields can only handle so much damage"  
  
"I have to go now," Garudo said, finishing his notes, "like I said, its madness out there."  
  
"One more question, if I may," Chiaotzu said, "Where is this place?"  
  
"This is the West City Hospital," Garudo said, without slowing down, "In West City."  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
====================================================================  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N  
  
Augh!! Yes i noticed my chapters getting shorter... I'm trying to stick to an average of 1.000 words per chapter, but the last two were shorter than that...   
  
Thing is, i've been trying to make it all end in nice cliffies for you ppl that took the time to read this fic of mine...   
  
Anyway, please leave your review after the beep...  
  
*beep* :P 


	5. Home

Chapter 5  
  
After having walked for several days, Chi-Chi, Bulma, Kami and Yamcha found themselves on a clearing at the outskirts of West City. In their current condition, they could best be described as completely wrecked. All but Yamcha, that is, as he had years of experience surviving in the desert. True, his skills were a little rusty after training with Muten Roshi on his island, but a forest was still a cakewalk to him. When the joy of finally arriving at West City subsided a bit, Bulma suddenly remembered something.  
  
"Oh Kami, I forgot you look a lot like Piccolo," Bulma said, "Can you take control of another body again?"  
  
"Yes I can, Bulma," Kami said, "but I need to touch them and I doubt most people here would allow me to get that close."  
  
"Also, there are some things you must know about this," he continued, "I have no access to their memories and it won't work if the target is too strong in ki."  
  
"Well that rules out Bulma, she's the only one who knows how to get to Capsule Corp.," Yamcha stated, "and I'm probably too strong in Ki for you to be able to use my body."  
  
When they saw Kami nod, everybody looked in Chi-Chi's direction.  
  
"What are you looking at me for?" Chi-Chi yelled, "No way am I going to let him get anywhere near me, you hear, I won't!"  
  
Bulma and Yamcha gave each other a brief nod, then pinned Chi-Chi on the ground.  
  
"Sorry Chi-Chi, but this is for a higher cause..." Bulma said.  
  
Still, the three humans looked in amazement as they saw Kami turn into green smoke and start drifting towards Chi-Chi, who was vainly trying to wriggle free.  
  
"C'mon Kami," Bulma said in a tight voice, "I can't hold her for long!"  
  
They saw Kami drift into Chi-Chi's nose and mouth and they felt her resisting less. When all the smoke was in Chi-Chi's body, she said with Kami's voice:  
  
"You can get off of me now, but we must be quick. I can only hold on to this state for one hour before I an forced to regain my natural form."  
  
They stood up and Kami-Chi-Chi (now called Kamichi) signalled Bulma to take the lead. Bulma scanned the city to locate landmarks, places she knew where they were so she could get her bearings. With a sigh, she walked into the city, followed by Kamichi and Yamcha.  
  
After about forty minutes, they reached the entrance to Capsule Corp. Bulma walked towards the door and typed her personal I.D. code in the panel before her. The door opened with a slight hum and they went inside towards the living room.  
  
"Good thing my parents went away on a business trip this week," Bulma said, "If Mom saw me like this she'd throw a fit."  
  
"Oh man," Yamcha sighed, lowering himself onto a couch while kicking off his boots, "it's been a while since I did that, and I'm beat."  
  
"It's a start," Kamichi said, "yet the road ahead is long and hard."  
  
"Whatever, I'm going to take a shower," Bulma said, heading back to the hallway, "Oh and I'll make you a disguise so you won't be stuck in here all day, okay?"  
  
"Ah yes, which reminds me." Kamichi said.  
  
Kamichi's eyes seemed to lose focus, and its body wavered slightly. Green smoke poured out of her nose and her mouth, the tendrils seemingly alive and heading towards a set point in the room. The newly formed cloud seemed to take a humanoid shape and thickened, until the surface was all that could be seen. Then, the image solidified, the cloud becoming Kami, who was gripping the table for support.  
  
"Whew," he sighed, "I forgot how much that takes from an aged body like mine."  
  
Chi-Chi, now snapping out of her trance, merely looked at Kami, shaking off the effects in her mind while mumbling something under her breath about never doing that again. She blinked, as if remembering something, and looked around the room again.  
  
"Where is my Goku?" she asked, "Where are the others? I thought they'd all be here..."  
  
"I don't know how to tell you this, Chi-Chi," Yamcha said grudgingly, as is he had to pull the words from him, "but Goku, Krillin, Tien and Launch are all dead. Killed by that monster, Piccolo"  
  
Chi-Chi looked at him like he'd gone mad, and was about to berate him on making such a bad joke, but then she noticed the look in his eyes and knew that he spoke the truth. She passed out cold.  
  
"I'll get her to a bed," Bulma said, returning from the doorway to pick up her unconscious body, "She'll need to rest."  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
====================================================================  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Well i'm back, it's been an Age since i updated (almost a month now) and as for my spare time, i can actually SEE it shrinking *rolls eyes*  
  
My chapters keep getting shorter as well... o_0 Thing is, i only notice that happening when i upload, and FF.net counts the words for me :P  
  
Anywayz, pls tell me what you think ;) 


	6. Good news

A/N: Ahh... Hope everyone had a good xmas and new year ^_^  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Kami helped her carry Chi-Chi to the spare bedroom, leaving Yamcha alone in the living room of Capsule Corp. HQ. He looked through the window into the garden where he had walked but a few days ago, proclaiming he'd be the one that would win the Tournament. He had even thought of what he was going to buy with the prize money, he wanted to buy the desert area where Puar and him had had their base of operations, back in the days when he was a notorious bandit, up until he had met Goku, that is.   
  
Yamcha let himself drift upon his travels with Goku: thwarting Emperor Pilaf's plans to rule the world, meeting the legendary Muten Roshi, competing in several Tenkaichi Budokais, even witnessing the destruction of the Red Ribbon Army. He looked up in the sky, thinking 'Farewell Goku, wherever you are'  
  
With his eyes closed, he automatically used an old Ki exercise to sense other people's Ki signature, the very first thing he learned after becoming a bandit. He then felt something familiar towards the northwestern section of the city. With a frown, he homed in on it, attempting to find out who it was. "Not him, not her, no DEFINATELY not that one," he murmured, ticking off people from the list in his mind. "Not them, not her, not... Wait a second, it's CHIAOTZU!!"  
  
Meanwhile, Kami and Bulma had lain Chi-Chi on one of the guest beds and were heading back down the stairs, only to hear Yamcha shout: "Chiaotzu!" Surprised, they went into the living room to see what had happened, only to see Yamcha looking out of the window with a smile on his face.  
  
"Care to let us in on it," Bulma said loudly, to get his attention, "or did you just go crazy."  
  
"It's Chiaotzu," Yamcha replied excitedly, "he was taken to the hospital during the preliminaries, right? Well I could sense him just a bit northwest from here."  
  
"Hey, that's where West City Hospital is," Bulma noted, enthusiasm creeping into her voice, "we should go see how he's doing."  
  
"I could heal him so he could join us immediately," Kami interrupted, "but I need to be in my original body to do that, and since I can't leave without creating mass panic..."  
  
"Don't worry, I have something for you in the basement." Bulma told the aged Guardian, "It's where all the prototypes of the discarded ideas are stored, just in case somebody changes their mind about them. I'll be right back"  
  
Kami and Yamcha looked at each other having noticed the fire returning into Bulma's eyes as she spoke of her inventions. Yamcha knew inventing was what she would lose herself into, forgetting everything around her, unfortunately including her dates with him.   
  
Moments later, Bulma returned with something that looked like a wristwatch. She handed it over to Kami and told him to put it on and press the blue button. When he did, a wire frame enveloped the ancient Guardian and his disguise was forming around him. When the transformation was done, Kami found he wore a black spandex suit, covered with a green vest and a red cape slung over his back. An orange motorcycle helmet and white boots and gloves completed the whole. From what could be seen of his face, it seemed to have the same evergreen hue it had before.  
  
"Cool huh," Bulma said, holding a mirror up at him "The blue button makes it appear, the red button changes you back into what you were wearing before."  
  
"Are you sure you want me to go out looking like this?" Kami asked, looking at himself in a mirror, "I'm supposed to NOT attract attention out there, remember? I look like some superhero!"  
  
"Hey, it's the best I can come up with," Bulma replied "If you don't like it, let's see if you can do better."  
  
Yamcha could see where this was going, Bulma had acquired quite the reputation of being a great inventor, but she was also known (although no one ever said it to her face) for her tempers. He quickly tried to intervene, saying:   
  
"Heh, don't be silly, Bulma, of course Kami likes it. He was just joking," He shot Kami a warning glare "weren't you, Kami?"  
  
Sensing the current mood, Kami decided to follow up. Arguments among themselves were not what they needed right now. He pressed the red button on his watch, changing his clothes back to his normal attire, and he suggested that they should get some rest and freshen up. They had a feeling they were going to need it...  
  
Chiaotzu woke up from a restless sleep. It had bothered him a lot that he couldn't seem to pick up the Ki signatures of Tien, Launch, Goku and Krillin.   
  
'What happened at that Tournament while I was out?' Chiaotzu kept asking himself.  
  
Suddenly he bolted upright. He had felt someone searching for his Ki signature. He didn't know who it was, as only Tien seemed to have mastered that technique, but he had learned enough from him to be able to pick up when someone was looking for his Ki. As he tried to focus on the Ki pattern though, he DID notice it's source was within a few miles from where he was. As the pattern stopped, Chiaotzu tried to get out of his hospital bed, still focusing on where it came from. A sharp pain in his bandaged body made him lose concentration, however, and he lost the trace.   
  
"Ah well," Chiaotzu told himself, "I won't be going anywhere like this. I might as well try to get some sleep."  
  
A weight had fallen off of the small warrior's chest, now that he knew there was at least one Ki user nearby that knew him, and by the feel of it, he was one of the good guys. With this thought, he fell asleep, dreaming of the mountains that he was proud to call home.  
  
---===***===---  
  
The next day, Kami was staring at the sky from one of the windows. He was keeping an eye on Piccolo, in hopes of finding a weakness that could be turned to their advantage, but he gave up on that after spending the entire night watching Piccolo walk around HIS sanctuary like he owned the place. A scowl slid across his face, knowing he had had to run from his evil self in order to escape with his life. Him, the Guardian of the Earth for nearly three centuries, had been chased out of his own position, as if he were nothing but a mere nuisance. He couldn't recall ever feeling so helpless in his life, and he hated it. His scowl deepened as he continued his observation of his tormentor.  
  
When Bulma woke up, she walked up to one of the closets and opened its doors. She then selected a grey bathrobe and proceeded towards the bathroom for a quick morning shower. On her way there, she pressed her ear against the door of the room where Chi-Chi slept, and was relieved that, after crying for most of the night, she had finally fallen asleep. After taking a hot shower, she dried herself off, her mind rerunning the events of the past few days. She realised that they would be needing all the help they could get, and more. Sighing, she put her bathrobe back on and walked back to her bedroom to get dressed.  
  
Yamcha woke up well rested, which was to be expected from someone who had taught himself to sleep in the harshest of climates. Having turned down the thoughts troubling his mind to a mere buzz, he stepped onto the balcony and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air. He leaned over the rail and noticed someone standing behind the window in the room below his. When he noticed Kami, or to be more precise the look on Kami's face, he shuddered, and started to go back inside in order to try to get some breakfast.   
  
Kami's telepathic message reached Yamcha and Bulma at the same time.  
  
'Get in the living room, we have planning to do.'  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
====================================================================================================  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: Well, things have been calming down at work, thankfully... And i finally managed to get a longer chapter in :D Things are finally getting underway a bit with the fic as well, so the long-awaited action's gonna kick in :P  
  
Don't forget to review... ;) 


	7. Unexpected Visitors

Chapter 7  
  
Yamcha and Bulma quickly finished whatever they were doing and hurried towards the living room. Although their awe at meeting a God had been washed out over the past few days, it was clear to them that as of today, he was back in business.   
  
"Okay, first things first," Kami said as they were sitting around the table, "we need to get all the remaining Z Fighters together. That includes Chiaotzu, Yamcha and I will be picking him up this morning"  
  
"But what about breakfa..." Yamcha began, yet he was silenced by a glare from Kami.  
  
"Bulma will remain here to work on something that will disable Piccolo. When he is incapacitated, I will handle him from there on." Kami continued, "I myself will be serving as a test subject, as I am the only one of his kind on Earth."  
  
"Okay I will," Bulma agreed, "also, when Chi-Chi wakes up, I'll try to keep her busy as well, to keep her mind off things."  
  
"Good," Kami said, "everyone agrees with this?"  
  
When no one spoke up, Kami nodded to himself. It had begun. He stood up, and pressed the blue button on the watch Bulma had given him. Within a few seconds he stood in his disguise, motioning for Yamcha to follow him. Yamcha had been to West City Hospital before, due to an unfortunate sparring accident with Krillin, so he knew how to get there. Suppressing their power levels from that of an average human to near zero, they opened the doors and threw a capsule outside. Within a large puff of smoke, stood a dark blue hover car with a roof. They quickly scrambled in and took off.  
  
Bulma watched them drive off towards the hospital, painfully witnessing they took a wrong turn, which would make them arrive at their destination about twenty minutes later than planned. With a sigh, Bulma closed the door. She walked to the kitchen, and, after having eaten a small breakfast, went downstairs to work on inventing a device able to stop Piccolo.  
  
Several hours later, Yamcha and Kami parked their hover car on the parking lot of the hospital and got out. Then went inside and soon found their way to the receptionist's desk, while Yamcha checked on Chiaotzu's Ki, to make sure he was indeed here.  
  
"Good day," Yamcha said, using all of his natural charms (A/N: cough)"would you be willing to tell us where we could find Chiaotzu, a friend of ours?"  
  
"Very well sirs," the receptionist replied, punching in the name, "Oh I'm sorry, that room is off limits"  
  
"No way," Yamcha said, "Why's that?"  
  
"He's one of the Budokai competitors, sir," she told them, "No one is allowed into that area to prevent reporters from disturbing their recovery"  
  
"Yeah but I fought in the Budokai as well," Yamcha said, checking his pockets, "I just don't seem to have my ID on me right now though..."  
  
"This is going to take a while, and time we do not have." Kami interrupted.  
  
He raised his visor and looked the receptionist straight into her eyes.   
  
"What.. room?" he asked her slowly, in a lethargic voice.  
  
The girl started swaying slightly behind her desk, no doubt under the influence of a strong hypnosis. She mouthed the words 'Top floor, room 027' a few times. Kami, satisfied with the answer, slammed his visor back down and started to walk towards the elevator, quickly followed by a perplexed Yamcha. The receptionist, still busy shrugging off the effects of what she would believe to be a bad night's sleep, never noticed them leave.  
  
Chiaotzu went wide-awake again when he sensed the same source as before scanning the area for his Ki signature. This time they were close. Very close, Chiaotzu thought. Knowing there wasn't anyplace he could hide in the room, especially not in his condition, he just eased back and waited for what was to come. He felt two people walking towards the end of the hallway, where his room was located. One of them seemed familiar, as if he had sensed it before somewhere. The other seemed almost... holy. Chiaotzu was pondering on this when Yamcha and Kami entered the room.  
  
"Good morning Chiaotzu," Yamcha greeted him, "how're you holding up?"  
  
"Yamcha!" Chiaotzu said, Yamcha's face hitting home in his mind, "I felt you track my Ki yesterday, but I was too weak to follow it."  
  
"Hey, no problem," Yamcha replied, "but we came to get you out of here."  
  
"I appreciate the offer," Chiaotzu told them, "but like I said, I'm still too weak to even get out of this bed without feeling dizzy."  
  
"That can be arranged," Kami said, placing his hands near the small warrior's chest.  
  
"What are you doing?" Chiaotzu asked, confused by what the man could possibly mean with that.  
  
His relief on seeing the first familiar face since the Tournament had been sufficient not to notice the strange man step into the room. Chiaotzu vaguely wondered what kind of person would walk around dressed like he was, but was alarmed when a strange glow from Kami's hands, started enveloping his body. Much to his surprise, his aches and pains dwindled to nothing, like they were a memory of a memory instead of the wounds that had had him recover in a hospital for the better part of a week. Chiaotzu testingly moved a bit and found that he was back at full health. After taking a deep breath, he removed the bandages from one of his larger wounds and, much to his relief, found unbroken skin underneath them. He looked up at the mysterious stranger, finding himself with a million questions, when Kami, apparently reading his thoughts, interrupted him:  
  
"I am Kami, Guardian of the Earth," he said, "come with us and everything shall be explained to you."  
  
Chiaotzu could only stare. Had he not just witnessed what he was capable of, he'd never have believed that he'd meet Kami in the flesh. Regaining his composure, he nodded, climbing out of bed and walking towards the closet he knew his clothes were in.  
  
---===***===---  
  
Meanwhile, at Capsule Corp, Bulma felt like throwing something. It seemed like everything she tried came up with a dead end. She was about to start from scratch again, hoping there was something she missed, when she heard the doorbell ring.  
  
'Ah why not,' she thought, walking out of her lab towards the front door, 'I guess I could use a break.'  
  
She opened the door, noticing how the man in front of her looked strangely familiar somewhere. He was in his fifties, and he wore brown baggy pants and a black vest over a yellow striped shirt. Bulma felt herself freeze as she recognised the insignia that he wore on his left sleeve, even though she had last seen it several years ago. Two white R's facing each other against a red background. The symbol of the Red Ribbon Army.  
  
"Greetings, miss Briefs," the man said, "I am Dr. Gero."  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
====================================================================================================  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: Okies i know it's been a while between updates, but i WON'T be abandoning this fic, even though i lack the time to work on it... Eventually, i'll be having some more time on my hands so i can get a few more chapters done without having to cram my writing into the niches in my timetable :S  
  
Thanks for the reviews so far, they really helped getting some ideas into my head ^_^ And next update you'll get to find out just what exactly Dr. Gero is doing there ;) 


	8. Preparations Part 1

Chapter 8

Bulma managed to regain some of her composure. Apparently, confusion was still painted across her face, as Gero continued speaking after a slight pause.

"Please allow me to clarify the matter, miss Briefs." Gero continued, "As you well know, Goku has been my arch enemy ever since he had annihilated my former employers, the Red Ribbon Army."

"My laboratory had been built to survive a full-scale bombing run though," he continued, "thus allowing me to continue my work unnoticed, since everyone believed the RR Base abandoned."

"I later learned that the 24th Tenkaichi Budokai Tournament was to be held in it. I then halted my research and decided to return when it was over." He said, "However, I had recognised most of the Tournament's competitors, which made me decide to return to my lab and capsulize everything, just in case."

"Lucky for me I did, since it had collapsed when that demon fired his beam at Goku." Gero said. At noticing the puzzled look on Bulma's face, he added "Remote Intruder Warning System. The entire system got cut off at the same time, obviously by the roof coming down on top of it."

"Now, all I desire is to kill that green nuisance for denying me my revenge on Goku!" Gero growled, "but since I can't do that alone, I hereby come to you for your aid. I had noticed you were acquainted with those other finalists..."

While listening to Gero's speech, Bulma managed to regain control of herself. The thing was, she needed Gero's help. Basically, she was being counted on to create a biological weapon, something she had never done before, and here, out of nowhere, came the world's leading scientist in weaponry. Turning over her options, she looked up at Gero.

"Okay, I accept your offer. Come inside, I'll fill you in on the details." Bulma said.

"By the way," Bulma added, "why were you at the Tournament anyway? No offence, but you don't seem to be the type for it"  
"Cyborg Taopaipai was created by me." Gero told her, "I study all of my... projects, to improve future designs."

'I hope I'm not going to regret doing this' Bulma thought, showing Gero around Capsule Corp.

------

Kami and Yamcha were waiting outside of the room while Chiaotzu was putting his clothes on. They were a bit tattered by the attack that nearly killed him during the Tournament, but nothing grave. Finished dressing himself, he walked out of the room and noticed a group of doctors being held back by Kami and Yamcha. The doctors were shouting something about an alarm going off and they had to check on the patient's condition. They grew quiet when they saw Chiaotzu standing in the doorway.

"Okay, I'm ready to go." Chiaotzu said, "By the way, what's this all about?"

"They saw the sensors they hooked you up on go blank when you pulled them out," Kami explained, "they were about to rush in before we stopped them."

"Well as you can see, I've recovered," Chiaotzu said, turning towards the stunned doctors, "and I would like to leave with my friends."

And with that, the trio started walking towards the elevators, leaving a number of astonished doctors, wondering how they were going to tell their planner that one of their badly wounded patients just got up and left, apparently unharmed.

Inside the elevator, Yamcha explained to Chiaotzu about Piccolo and why he shouldn't power up, because Piccolo might be able to sense where he was. Chiaotzu nodded, and the three walked out of the hospital towards their car.

"Heh, it's been a while since I rode in a car," Chiaotzu noted, "They never could reach the places where I used to live."

They got in and drove off, Yamcha mumbling something about dodging traffic jams. Sensing his companions weren't in a talkative mood, Chiaotzu took in the city by what he could see through the windows. Having lived in the mountains all of his life, he had only seen a city when he was flying over one. Now he was in one of the Capitols and, with his power suppressed, felt himself be nearly overwhelmed by the variety of Ki signatures around him. He couldn't help wondering how so many people could live in such a small space without going crazy.

Using the time that they drove back to Capsule Corp. getting used to this sensation, normally buffered by his own Ki, he found himself looking forward to seeing Tien and Launch again. The reason why he couldn't sense them, he assumed, was that Tien was suppressed like he was and Launch simply didn't sneeze (A/N: For those who don't know, Launch/Kushami is a Dragon ball char, who changes personality when she sneezes. Launch is plain and has dark hair, while Kushami is a trigger-happy blonde). Getting lost in his own memories, he barely noticed the time pass away and was surprised that it was getting dark when Yamcha stopped the car, claiming they had arrived.

As soon as they got out, Kami capsulized the car and they walked up to the door. Yamcha searched his pockets, finding the piece of paper where Bulma'd written the access codes to Capsule Corp. on. He entered the code, opening the door, and walked inside into the living room.

Only to find himself face-to-face with Dr. Gero.

During his days as a desert bandit, Yamcha had had a collection of 'Wanted'-posters in his base. He had hung his own amongst them, comparing the price on his head to those of Commander Red, Kushami and Dr. Gero amongst others, to have an estimate of his standing on the crime ladder. In other words, to prevent him from accidentally mugging the wrong people. Dr. Gero fit nicely into that category.

"Ah good, you're all here." Bulma said, noticing Yamcha's discomfort, "Come on in, we'll fill you in on what has happened."

Yamcha was surprised by Bulma's calmness. Regaining his composure, he shrugged it off and took a seat, closely followed by Chiaotzu and Kami, who had removed his disguise the second the front door had closed behind them. Chichi entered from the kitchen, carrying a tray with coffee and freshly baked cookies. Her eyes were red and swollen, and it was clear she had been crying a long time.

"Hi everyone," she said, "I just woke up and I had to take my mind off of what happened before I'd drive myself crazy, so I decided to go bake something. I hope you don't mind, Bulma"

"Not at all, Chichi," Bulma replied, "Come on, sit down, you need to know what happened so far as well. Are you up for it?"

"I suppose I am, at that," Chichi smiled, taking a seat, "I'm past the worst part though, so I should be okay, given some time."

Chiaotzu had become increasingly worried by this conversation. It was eating at him that he still wasn't able to pick up Tien's Ki signature. Or Goku and Krillin's, for that matter. Becoming uneasy, he silently prepared for some bad news. 


	9. Preparations Part II

Chapter 9

"Okay I'll start from the beginning, because Chiaotzu had been knocked out during the preliminaries." Bulma started, "He was knocked out by a cyborg named Taopaipai, who was..."

"... And after I showed Dr. Gero around, you guys came in." Bulma ended her story. "Anyone have any questions?"

The news was worse than Chiaotzu could ever possibly suspect. Not only Tien gone, but Launch too. Even Goku and Krillin, which he had come to respect, were gone. He just sat there slumped in his sofa, wishing he'd never heard of the Budokai in his life. Suddenly, he remembered something.

"Umm, Bulma," he said, "can't we just use the Dragon balls to wish everyone back?"

"Yes we can, but unfortunately Piccolo guards them while they're recharging." Kami interrupted, "They should be restored to full within three days too."

"Hey Gero, didn't you say you stood in the audience when Piccolo appeared without the disguise?" Yamcha asked.

"Yes I was," the scientist replied, "somewhere in the middle section, I believe. Why do you ask?"

"Just a minute, I have to make a phone call," Yamcha said, lost in thought, "I just had something I wanted to check..."

Yamcha stood up and walked towards the videophone built into the wall. He dialled a number, and waited for the call to be answered.

"Kame House," a voice said, "this is Muten Roshi speaking"  
Yamcha's heart skipped a beat. As Roshi was one of the few people who still used regular phones, the video feed was offline, rendering him unable to see if there was anyone else there with him. Gathering his hopes, he leaned towards the microphone

"Roshi, do you know if there are others who survived those blasts?" Yamcha spoke agitatedly, "Who is there with you now?"

"Puar and Oolong, I took them to safety when things started getting ugly." Roshi told him, "They've been worried sick about you and the others though."

Yamcha felt an incredible relief surge through his body, and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He announced to the others that Roshi, Puar and Oolong survived as well and asked if they could come on over as well. Bulma agreed on that and Yamcha told Roshi that he'd explain later, but that it was important that they'd head for Capsule Corp as soon as possible.

"Sure thing, we're going to leave as soon as we can," Roshi replied, "We won't be there until tomorrow anyway, since we can't fly from the South-eastern Islands."

"Ask him to drop by the RR Base underway, he'll be passing nearby anyway," Gero interrupted them, "we could use Piccolo's severed arm as a tissue sample..."

"Oh yeah, could you pass by where they held the Tournament and pick up Piccolo's arm?" Yamcha told Roshi, trying to make it sound like a normal request.

"His WHAT!" Roshi screamed, "Why in Kami's name do you need THAT for?"

"Umm, it's a long story," Yamcha said, "let's just say there's someone here at Capsule Corp. that can help us defeat Piccolo, but we need a tissue sample."

"You mean a fighter?" Roshi asked, "But I know the names of all of the strongest warriors. Who is it? I might know him."

"Oh you know him alright. But he's a scientist, called..." Yamcha changed what he was going to say, "Like I said... long story. I'll tell you when you get here, okay?"

"Aww shucks, I'll go find my airship capsule then." Roshi said, obviously not looking forward to dealing with severed limbs, "I guess I'll have Oolong pick 'it' up then. See you tomorrow."

"Wait a sec," Yamcha quickly said, "What time do you think you'll get here?"

"Ohh, about noon, I guess," Roshi answered, "since we have to go look for that... you know... first."

"Yeah, well, sorry about that," Yamcha apologized, "but trust me, we have a VERY good reason not to do it ourselves."

"You'd better have one." The old master muttered, before adding, "Okay, see you guys tomorrow, at noon."

"Sure thing, see you then." Yamcha said, ending the call, and rejoining the others to discuss who was going to do what next.

"While awaiting the tissue sample," Gero noted, "Bulma and I can brainstorm for ideas on what the weapon is supposed to do."

"Yeah, and since you managed to save your research," Bulma agreed, "we could upload the data into my central computer too."

"Kami," Chiaotzu asked, "since we're both strong psychics, would you care to discuss techniques with me? I have a few ideas, but I need to find out if they'll work on you."

"No offence," Chiaotzu quickly added, "but since you and Piccolo are originally one being, you're the closest thing to him that we have."

"No offence taken," Kami said, "and I see your point. Very well then, I accept your offer. Shall we begin"  
"Man, I'd like to train," Yamcha grumbled, "but I can't, knowing Piccolo could detect my Ki as soon as I raise it."

"Oh not necessarily," Bulma told him, "I made a training room with Ki deflecting walls."

"I made it in case any of you guys dropped by," Bulma added, with a wink, "since you can't get training out of your mind 24/7."

"Thanks Bulma," Yamcha said, exited at being able to train at full power, "all this walking around with my Ki suppressed was getting to me."

"Bulma, I know I promised to help you, but would you mind if I join him?" Chichi asked, before adding with a smile "all your talk of neurochemical suppressants and endorphin blockers gave me a headache not too long ago. You tend to think out loud."

"Sure, go ahead," Bulma said, "Gero and I need to implement his research into mine anyway and you couldn't help us with that."

And with that, everybody left. Kami and Chiaotzu were discussing psychics, while Bulma, flanked by Gero, showed Yamcha and Chichi to the training room. After a brief explanation on how to work the controls (the Ki deflecting field needed to be set at the correct strength) she took Gero to an empty room, next to her lab.

"Is this room large enough to decapsulize your research in?" Bulma asked.

"No, this will do nicely," Gero told her, "now stand back while I decapsulize everything."

Gero took a capsule out of his inside pocket and tossed it to the centre of the room, where it decapsulized into more capsules. Gero then proceeded decapsulizing those, and after a few minutes of rearranging, his old lab was rebuilt into its original state. Bulma helped hook everything up to her central computer, and began uploading the backups that Gero had made regularly. When everything was uploaded into the mainframe, Gero began to override the security devices he implemented in his files, which he had installed so nobody would steal his research. While Gero was doing this, Bulma looked around his lab, now noting several human-sized pods lined up against the wall.  
"Gero, what are those," Bulma asked, pointing at the pods, "It looks like there's something inside them."

"That is correct." Gero replied off-handed, not looking up from the terminal, "Androids." 


	10. Preparations Part III

Chapter 10

"Huh," Bulma said, surprised, "did you just say androids?"

"Yes I did," Gero calmly answered, "but let us just keep to the matter at hand, shall we?"

Bulma nodded, and turned back to Gero. Gero would have plenty of time he wanted to explain about his research, but only after Piccolo was destroyed. Gero quickly finished entering passwords and disabling the array of rather nasty programs, poised to strike anything that dared try to access the files they were guarding. Gero smiled inwardly, thinking how proud he was when he created these. They were a part of the file itself, you could copy it as much as you wanted, but as soon as you opened it, wham. Game over. The ideal security programs.

A few hours later, Kami entered the room, asking if there was anything he could help them with, since Chiaotzu and he took a break. Big mistake. Caught between two scientists, he found himself being completely drained for information, particularly about the Mafuba attack (A/N original DB, Piccolo Saga) and Kami's gas-form technique. They then turned back to their notes, implementing their newly acquired information in it. While the two scientists were discussing the details, Kami took this opportunity to sneak out of the room.

The next day continued like this for the most part. After a good night's sleep, Yamcha and Chichi were training and while Yamcha's power level was higher, Chichi more than made up for it in fighting skill. Yamcha had taught her how to use Ki blasts and she taught him in return how he could improve his stance. Chiaotzu and Kami were also getting along fine. Chiaotzu had managed to modify his Psychic Hold attack so that it would immobilize beings like Kami, and it took Kami increasing mental effort to break free. Chiaotzu might have hit his limit power level-wise, but his psychic abilities were improving fast. Bulma and Gero, however, had finished their preparations, and impatiently waited for Roshi to arrive.

At a quarter past noon, the sound of an airship landing in the backyard made the two scientists run for the door. Before Roshi was out of the ship, he was trampled underfoot by them, scanning the ship for Piccolo's arm. They noticed Oolong standing there with something wrapped in a sheet. Noticing the look in their eyes, Oolong quickly threw it at the scientists, and Bulma and Gero ran off to the lab to study it. Kami, Yamcha, Chichi and Chiaotzu had followed the scientists as soon as they went for the door, and helped Roshi back up.

"Yeah, nice seeing you too," Roshi remarked, brushing footprints off of his clothes, "Wha- wait a sec, wasn't that Dr. Gero?"

"Chiaotzu and Chichi as well," he continued, "but what's Kami doing here? I heard he rarely gets off his Sanctuary."

"You know who I am?" Kami asked, surprised at being recognised.

"I spent three years at Korrin's Tower catching the Holy Water." Roshi answered, "Korrin and I used to talk a lot during rests."

"But anyway," Roshi said, turning to Yamcha, "you promised me an explanation, and from what I've seen so far, I'd like one right now."

"Okay, follow us," Yamcha said, leading him inside, "we'll tell you everything that has happened."

While the Z Fighters were filling Roshi in on the events of the past few days, Bulma and Gero finished their analysis on Piccolo's severed limb. Although it had mostly decayed over the past few days, they still managed to get the information they needed. They took samples of its RNA and DNA structure, and compared them to Kami's, which they had taken when he had walked in on them. They smiled when they turned out to be nearly identical. It meant that if it worked on Kami, it would work on Piccolo also.

In the meantime, Roshi wasn't feeling all too well. Having a sixth sense for Goku, he knew something had gone terribly wrong, but this exceeded his wildest fears. Most of the strongest fighters he knew were dead, and with Piccolo guarding the dragon balls, the only way to get them back was by defeating him. And Krillin had already been wished back once, so he was gone for good. Roshi sighed.

"Master Roshi," Yamcha asked, "we were wondering if you wanted to fight alongside us again. You used to be the strongest on the planet."

"Well I don't have much of a choice, do I," Roshi said, "Okay, I'll do it. I'm a bit rusty though, it's been a while since I last fought."

"That's great," Yamcha exclaimed, "and between me and Chichi, we'll get you up to fighting shape in no time."

"Come to think of it," he added, "Chiaotzu, would you teach us all how to fly? I don't imagine Piccolo letting us all climb to Kami's Sanctuary and us defeating him afterwards too."

"Sure thing," Chiaotzu replied, happy to be needed for once, "I'll see you all in the training room."

"Excuse me, Kami," Bulma said through one of the installed speakers, "we'd like you to come to the lab. There are some more tests we'd like to run."

"Great," Kami muttered, shuddering at the prospect, "I hope they finished testing my regeneration rate though."

And with that, they all left. Chichi, Yamcha and Roshi followed Chiaotzu to the training room for flying lessons, while Kami went to Bulma and Gero's labs. Kami couldn't wait until this whole thing was over with. He longed back to when he stood on his Sanctuary, looking out over the Earth, back in the days Piccolo was still imprisoned in the pressure cooker Mutaito (Roshi's sensei) put him in using the Mafuba attack. But, unfortunately, dwelling on the past never saved the present before. Steeling himself, he pushed a button, making the doors slide open, and walked into the main lab.

A few more days passed like this. Bulma and Gero systematically tortured Kami to make his body achieve it's gas-form state against his will, Yamcha, Chichi and Roshi training for the upcoming battle and Chiaotzu honing his psychic skills. Then, one day, Bulma's voice came through the speaker.

"Hey guys," Bulma said, sounding tired, "we finished working on that thing you wanted. Get everyone to the living room please." 


	11. Inevitable Battle

Chapter 11

"Sounds like they skipped another night," Yamcha remarked, breaking off his training, "but, knowing Bulma, that's not a surprise. She takes not knowing things as a personal insult."

"I'll go see if they need anything," Chichi said, "could you and Roshi find Kami and Chiaotzu? We need to organise an assault."

Yamcha and Roshi agreed on that, and went off to search the others. Chichi watched them leave, and then walked to the lab area where she knew Bulma and Gero were, and entered the lab. She saw Gero sleeping, fully clothed, on the bed he had had put into his lab, since he refused to leave his work longer than what he thought was absolutely necessary. Bulma, however, was awake, even if barely.

"Ah, there you are," Bulma said, "listen, I can't make it to the living room, so I'll tell you what to tell the rest, okay?"

"Sure Bulma," Chichi said, taking a seat at the desk where Bulma was sitting, "what is it?"

"This is the thing you asked for," Bulma sleepily told her, "It's a virus that makes Piccolo's body go into a gas-form. It's in a syringe, because I don't know what'll do to other people"  
"This means, Chiaotzu'll have to mentally hold him," Bulma yawned, "but that's no problem, since he had Kami to practise on."

"Now when his body reaches gas-form, Kami must do a Mafuba attack on him." Bulma mumbled, "I know it kills whoever uses it, but Kami is an exception to that, with him and Piccolo being linked and all."

"Now, in stead of a pressure cooker or a jar, he must lock Piccolo into himself," Bulma said, "so that when Piccolo tries to get out, he kills Kami, and thus himself too."

All right Bulma," Chichi said, "I'll tell then just as soon as I get you to bed."

After it became obvious she couldn't reach anything as far as the door even if she wanted to, Chichi supported her as they walked and she had to carry the exhausted woman up the stairs. When they reached Bulma's bedroom, she was already sound asleep. Chichi closed the curtains after laying her in bed and, in the dark, walked over to the door. Whispering a silent good night, she gently closed it behind her and proceeded to meet the others.

Meanwhile, Roshi had found Chiaotzu in the garden house, while Yamcha had spotted Kami meditating between a row of trees. They took them back to the living room, and were soon joined by Chichi, who passed Bulma's message on to everybody. They had all agreed several days ago that killing Kami wasn't an option, since they needed the dragon balls to bring back Goku and the others, and sealing Piccolo inside Kami seemed fitting somehow. After all, the two of them HAD been one being a long time ago.

"There's still something that bothers me," Yamcha wondered, "Would doing this affect the dragon balls?"

"I... don't know." Kami reluctantly answered, "Piccolo was the one that created the dragon balls, so there's no telling what would happen to them. This has never been done before."

"Well, there's a first time for everything," Chichi said, "and it isn't helping anybody if we just sit around here waiting for Piccolo's next move"  
"Okay, here's the plan," she continued, "As the faster flyers, Yamcha and I will fly on ahead of the others. We'll attack Piccolo all-out, so he won't have the time to create a Ki attack. Roshi, Chiaotzu and Kami will be on the second attack wave."

"While we keep Piccolo busy, Chiaotzu'll sneak up on him and use his Psychic Hold on him." Chichi explained, "Then Roshi will inject the virus into Piccolo, and Kami will use the Mafuba on him."

"If, for some reason, Piccolo notices the second group too early, Roshi'll have to hold him off until we can intercept him," Chichi added, "and the plan will continue from there on. Any questions?"

After a brief silence, it became clear that everybody agreed with her plan. Readying themselves, they walked outside into the garden. Kami felt out for Piccolo's Ki. He had been doing this ever since the day Piccolo and he split bodies, so even if he was suppressed to zero, Kami could sense him. The fact that they weren't attacked yet was proof that Piccolo couldn't.

"He's still on my Sanctuary," Kami muttered, before adding, "Never thought I'd live to see the day I'd participate in assaulting my own home."

"If all goes well," Yamcha replied, "it'd be the only time too."

"Well I'm not getting any younger," Roshi added, "is everyone ready?"

Seeing everyone nod in confirmation, Chichi and Yamcha powered up and took off into the sky, to be followed seconds later by Roshi, Kami and Chiaotzu. Meanwhile, on the Sanctuary, Piccolo awoke from his meditation. It seemed to him like the Ki of everyone he was sensing for flared up at once. He frowned, and locked on to them. When he noticed they were all heading straight for him, he smiled, remembering their last attempt one week ago. He ended his meditation and started to prepare for their arrival.

Meanwhile, Yamcha and Chichi were looking over their shoulders frequently, careful at maintaining an ideal distance between the two attack waves. Too little meant Piccolo could see them coming and anticipate before Chiaotzu and Kami could launch their attack. Too much meant that Yamcha and Chichi might already be defeated by Piccolo by the time the others reached the battle'field'. Then, they began to see the shape of the Sanctuary standing above the clouds they used for cover.  
And Piccolo, hovering in front of it with his arms crossed, an evil grin on his face.

"So, you have come to try again," he spoke, "if you're that eager to die, you might as well have said so last time."

Without a word, Yamcha and Chichi veered to opposite directions, not showing signs of slowing down. Both of them made a semi-circle so that they were heading toward Piccolo from opposite sides, powering up to their maximum just before engaging in close combat. Piccolo merely smiled.

"If that's what you hope to defeat me with," he shouted, "you are SADLY mistaken. DUAL FORM!"

Piccolo's Ki spiked, and his body split in two, both halves immediately regenerating whatever limbs they were missing. The two Piccolos each selected their opponent just in time to block their initial attacks. Yamcha was giving it his all, occasionally blasting a Ki ball from almost point-blank range into Piccolo's defences, while Chichi more than made up for her lack of Ki manipulation skills with her all-out frenzy for the being that killed her husband-to-be. Both of them fought the Piccolo's with everything they had in an all-out attack, ignoring their defence. They managed to land quite a few hits on the Demon King's bodies, but were in turn also forced to take quite a lot of damage.

Roshi peeked up from the cloud where he was hiding with Kami and Chiaotzu, power levels suppressed as far as they could go without dropping like a stone. One look was enough for him to see that the situation wasn't good, as Yamcha and Chichi's respective power levels were lowering rapidly. They needed to intervene fast, or else either Yamcha or Chichi would fall, effectively annihilating their plans to catching Piccolo off guard. However, it seemed there was another flaw to their plan.

There seemed to be two Piccolos.

"Oh my," Roshi muttered, "this is bad. We need to get Piccolo to become whole, or this entire thing would be useless."

"Yes, I have heard of this technique." Kami said, hovering next to him, "We need to disable them both to make them reform."

"No time to lose them." Roshi stated, "We must attack, now!"

Roshi started preparing a Kamehameha Wave, and with that, the second group burst up from the clouds. The sudden Ki signatures close by caught the Piccolo's off guard, and Yamcha and Chichi quickly made their moves. Chichi kneed Piccolo in the solar plexus with all the strength she could muster, while Yamcha gathered whatever energy he could spare and slammed his Ki ball directly into Piccolo's face. The two Piccolos were sent reeling and collided with each other, making them reform into one. Roshi, after blasting his Kamehameha Wave at him for good measure, quickly shoved the entire vial in his mouth and gave him a fierce uppercut against his chin.

"Insolent humans!" Piccolo yelled, spitting out shards of glass, "For this, I will kill you all!"

Roshi looked around. Yamcha's strength was wavering, as he was barely able to keep himself in the air, while Chichi was panting heavily, clutching her limp left arm. Gathering his resolve, Roshi got into a battle stance, hoping he could fend off Piccolo long enough for the virus to take effect. Piccolo on the other hand seemed to have recuperated from the attacks, and was about to beat everybody involved into a bloody pulp, when suddenly he dropped out of his stance, looking shocked.

Piccolo started to scream.

While Roshi could at first only stare at the Demon King thrashing about with his head in his hands, he then realised that the virus had started to take effect. Making a mental note to thank Bulma (and, he grudgingly added, Dr. Gero) he turned to face the cloud he came from and yelled:

"Kami, Chiaotzu, your turn! It's starting to take effect!"

Immediately after that, the god and the emperor burst out from their cloud, fanning out not to get in each other's way while Piccolo's form was beginning to dissipate into smoke.

"Okay, I'm in position," Chiaotzu shouted, "PSYCHIC HOLD!"

"It is my turn now, I believe," Kami said, looking grim, "MAFUBA!"

Piccolo's gas form, held tightly in place by Chiaotzu, was struck by the Mafuba's grasp. Chiaotzu's Psychic Hold negated the chance of a possible counterattack, and lessened the chance of Piccolo dodging the Mafuba altogether. Roshi was speechless when he saw Kami inhale Piccolo. One could cut the silence with a knife, until Kami finally spoke:

"It's over. Piccolo is imprisoned, this time for good." 


	12. Unexpected Wishes

Chapter 12

Everyone resumed breathing again. Roshi had found himself having a few questions for Kami concerning the Mafuba attack, before remembering Yamcha and Chichi's conditions. Deciding there would be more than enough time for questions later on, Roshi supported a battered Chichi and a nearly unconscious Yamcha as everyone made their way towards the Sanctuary.

Having set the two fighters down onto the Sanctuary's pavement, Roshi walked up to Kami.

"Kami, I have a question to ask," he said, "why did you use your own body in stead of an item to seal Piccolo?"

"That is easy to explain," the ancient Guardian of the Earth said, "As you all know, Piccolo and I are linked. If one of us dies, the other one does as well."

"Had I used an item to seal Piccolo," Kami continued, "there would be the chance that Piccolo would break free once more."

"Yet using my own body as a seal would prevent that," Kami added with a smile, "as whatever he's sealed in is destroyed when he successfully escapes..."

"... Killing him anyway because of the link with you!" Chiaotzu finished, "This is great! We'll always be free of him!"

"Great fight you guys," a voice called from behind a tree, "I suppose you all could use some Senzus?"

"Yajirobe," Yamcha said, recognising the voice, "how the... argh... did you... escape him?"

"Basically, we made Korrin's Tower appear deserted," Yajirobe replied, "We sensed the entire battle and knew when it was safe to come out of hiding."

"I suppose I'll spare you all the details," he continued, tossing Yamcha and Chichi a senzu bean each, "since you guys look like you could use this more."

"Hey guys, I found the Dragon balls," Chiaotzu called from inside Kami's Palace, "looks like Piccolo had already collected them all."

"Great, let's summon Shenlong right here," a now restored Chichi said, "I can't wait to see Goku again..."

"Umm, Chichi, we'd better summon him on the ground," Chiaotzu pointed out, "Goku can't fly..."

"Capsule Corp.'s probably the best place for it, since summoning the Dragon will cause mass panic everywhere else." Yamcha said, "The people in that area are used to Bulma testing out her inventions."

Everyone agreed on that, and they took off, heading for Capsule Corp. with the dragon balls. When they arrived a few minutes later, they noticed Bulma waiting for them in the backyard. They landed near her and while Kami and Chiaotzu were setting out the dragon balls in an open area of Bulma's garden, Yamcha, Chichi and Roshi were filling her in on what had happened.

"... So we couldn't have done it without your virus," Yamcha finished, "it worked like a charm."

"Of course it did," Bulma said, with a grin on her face, "I'm more than just good looks, you know."

"Excuse me, but we found a good spot to summon Shenlong," Chiaotzu interrupted, "if you would follow me, please?"

"Yeah guys, c'mon," Yamcha exclaimed, giving Chichi a smile, "let's go wish Goku back."

And with that, the group followed Kami to where Chiaotzu had lain out the dragon balls. Their mood had risen considerably since the battle with Piccolo, and the grim looks from the past few days were replaced by smiles and laughter. As they rounded the shed (or one of them) all of them became quiet upon seeing all seven dragon balls glinstering on the ground before them. After a quick look amongst themselves, they decided Chichi should do the honours.

"Eternal Dragon, by your name I summon you forth," Chichi spoke, while she walked towards the dragon balls raising her arms, "arise, Shenlong!"

Everybody waited in anticipation of Goku returning to them as the dragon balls began taking in all the light from its surroundings. The sky turned black as coal, the only visible light being shed from the dragon balls themselves, which were shining brighter by the second. As the glow they gave out became so strong it seemed they had become one, a bright ray of light shot upwards, slashing through the darkness. The beam then began to twist and turn, getting longer still. Eventually, the ray of light stopped and the glow subsided, leaving Shenlong, the Eternal Dragon, in clear sight of everyone in the vicinity.

"YOU HAVE SUMMONED ME FROM MY SLUMBER," Shenlong announced, his voice carrying to well within the next district, "SPEAK YOUR WISH, AND I WILL MAKE IT SO."

"My wish is," Chichi said, snapping out of her trance, "to bring Goku back into this dimension!"

"THAT WISH," the Eternal Dragon replied, "CANNOT BE GRANTED."

"What!" Bulma yelled, "But why?"

"BECAUSE THE DRAGONBALLS HAVE BEEN ALTERED NOT TO RAISE ANYONE FROM THE DEAD." Shenlong answered, "PICCOLO, THE ONE THAT CREATED ME, MADE IT SO ONLY A FEW DAYS AGO."

"No, this isn't fair!" Yamcha shouted, "Piccolo's defeated. We WON, dammit!"

"In a way, that makes sense," Kami mumbled, "he was afraid the dragon balls would wish Goku back to defeat him."

"B-but that means," Chiaotzu realised, "Tien won't be coming back either..."

"N-no, this can't be," Chichi stuttered, "I wish I could at least talk to him one last time, even if it were for just a few minutes..."

THAT WISH, I CAN GRANT," Shenlong spoke, his eyes glowing a bright red, "UNTIL SUMMONED AGAIN, I LEAVE."

As the glow around Shenlong became brighter, a smaller glow sprang into life on the ground next to the dragon balls. As Shenlong's form grew indistinct and started to flow back into them, the small glow started to take on the shape of a person. By the time Shenlong was once again sealed within the seven dragon balls, the smaller glow subsided, leaving a rather surprised looking being standing there. As his antennae twitched, he looked over his shoulder just in time to see the dragon balls float upwards, until they were mere flecks in the now restored daylight.

Yamcha, Chichi, Bulma, Chiaotzu and Roshi watched the dragon balls as they climbed upward into the sky. They floated there for a second, before, not unlike the hopes of everyone present, scattering in all directions. It wasn't until the dragon balls had disappeared from sight completely that they all noticed the being standing before them. It was wearing a black suit, with what looked like a red gi worn underneath it. It was also wearing sunglasses, but that wasn't what had caught everyone's attention.

It was the light blue skin and the long antennae that earned everyone's stares.

"W-what is this," Kami uttered in disbelief, "King Kai, sir, h-how did you get here?" 


	13. Calling Otherworld

Chapter 13

"That's what I'd like to know too..." King Kai replied, "One moment I was standing on my planet, and the next thing I know some voice out of nowhere announces that it's sending me here for half an hour."

"Speaking of which, I couldn't help noticing a set of dragon balls flying off behind me." He continued, as he turned to Kami, "Did you create those?"

"Umm, pardon me for interrupting," Yamcha said, "but who are you?"

"Me? I'm North Kai," the Kai answered, "the overseer of the Northern Quadrant of space, where this planet is in."

"Excuse me, I wished that I could talk to Goku," Chichi interrupted them, "since you ended up here, I take it you can do that?"

"Yep, of course I can," North Kai said, "I just need to find him first though."

"I need to know some details about him first," he continued, "so I'm going to search your minds for them."

After a few minutes, during which they could feel a presence scanning through their memories, North Kai turned his antennae upwards to look for Goku. After a few minutes, he lowered his antennae again with a thoughtful look on his face.

"That's odd, there's no one filed under 'Goku'," the Kai mumbled, "let's see if King Yemma knows where he can be found."

After a brief telepathic discussion between them, King Yemma set about looking through his files to check for a photograph matching King Kai's description. After a few minutes, he found it, and relayed its contents back to King Kai, through the still active telepathic connection. Having received this information, it only took him a few seconds to locate Goku, or Kakarot, as he was apparently called.

"Okay, I just finished explaining the situation to him," King Kai told Chichi, "now just put your hand on my back and speak, he will hear you."

Hearing this, Chichi launched herself forward and slammed her hand on the Kai's back, not wanting to lose any more time.

"Hey, careful!" King Kai yelled, "I said ON my back not through it!"

"Sorry about that," Chichi apologised, before saying, "Goku, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Chichi." Goku's disembodied voice echoed through the garden, "Hey, how's everyone doing? I heard you guys defeated Piccolo too, congratulations!"

"Oh Goku, I wished I could talk to you one last time before you were gone for good." Chichi said, "Piccolo altered the dragon balls, we can't wish anyone back."

"Aww, no kidding," Goku exclaimed, before adding, "ah well, at least Krillin and Tien are here too..."

"Oh and by the way, poor King Yemma nearly threw a fit on whether to send Launch to Heaven or Hell, her and Kushami being the same person and all." he continued, "Did you know Tien and Launch are an item?"

"Well, that's Goku for ya," Yamcha said with a smile, "nothing gets him down for more than a few seconds."

"Come on," Bulma said, "I think they'll want some time alone now."

Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Roshi and Kami all agreed on that, and they silently walked back towards the main building, while Bulma filled them in on what the others were doing. Oolong had gone back to Kame House, so as not to leave it deserted, Puar had fallen asleep and Gero was still working on organising his research. When they arrived inside, they sat down in the living room, waiting for Chichi.

Goku and Chichi talked for a long time, until North Kai pointed out that time was almost up. They reluctantly said their goodbyes, although they took their time doing so, after which the Kai ended the link. He promised Chichi she shouldn't worry, because he'd keep an eye out for Goku. As he faded away, Chichi could hear him mumble about something called saiyans, but she didn't know what he meant, so she shrugged it off. Fighting to hold back the tears that were threatening to come through, she turned towards the Capsule Corp. building to join the others.

Meanwhile, Goku told Krillin, Tien and Launch how everyone was taking the fact that none of them could be wished back.

"There isn't much that can be done about it, I suppose," Krillin sighed, "I've been wished back before, so I'm stuck here anyway."

"Well, look at it from the bright side," Tien said, putting his arm around Kushami, "being dead could have been worse..."

"Yeah, you're right," Krillin admitted, "at least you guys are here with me, right?"

"If you make me look soft like that again, mister," Kushami jokingly told Tien, "I'm going to have to kill you."

At that instant, King Kai appeared next to them. Noticing the current scene between Tien and Kushami, he commented on what a cute couple they were. Tien winced as Kushami stood up to face the Kai.

"What did you just say?" Kushami asked, looking the Kai in the face, "What did you just call me?"

"I said you made a cute couple," King Kai replied, failing to notice the tone in her voice, "and that you look good together."

"Cute, huh?" Kushami said, a muscle twitching in her cheek as she advanced on the unsuspecting Kai, "I'll show you cute!"

"Wow, calm down," North Kai said, "it was just a compliment."

"Oh, well in that case," she said, suddenly wielding a hunting knife, "allow me to thank you for it."

"Hey, how'd you get that thing in here?" the Kai asked, taking a few steps back, "Ehh, I just remembered, I gotta go, cya!"

"Man, I have to admit," Krillin said, watching Kushami chase the Kai all over the area, "some things just never change."

And with that, the three Z Fighters laughed like old times. 


	14. Life As Usual

Chapter 14 

When Chichi opened the door to the living room, she noticed everybody waiting there. She then proceeded to tell them how Goku, Krillin, Tien and Launch were doing, even though it was a bit strange, considering they were dead and all. However, Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Roshi and Bulma were surprised to hear about Tien and Kushami. They had been too busy planning their escape to register what was happening between the two during their time in the shelter.

"If I am no longer needed here, I shall return to my Sanctuary." Kami announced, getting up, "I wish to check if Piccolo didn't alter anything else during his... stay there."

Bulma nodded, and got up to accompany Kami to the front door. The rest of the Z Fighters followed to see the Guardian of the Earth off as well. They said their goodbyes and with that, Kami blasted off into the darkening night sky. As his Ki trail was beginning to fade from view, everyone got back in the living room to discuss what they were going to do next.

"We need to reform the Z Fighters," Roshi told them, "only this time, we'll have to do better than just meet at every Budokai."

"Hey, wait a sec," Yamcha interrupted, "why? The Red Ribbons are no more, Piccolo's imprisoned forever and Pilaf couldn't beat us if he tried..."

"The reason is simple." Roshi replied, "I want to be sure that whatever future threat may arise, we'll be ready for it."

"Besides, we all believed the same when Goku destroyed the Red Ribbon Base," Roshi continued, "No one counted on the appearance of Piccolo back then either."

"Well you got that one right," Chichi sighed, "someone powerful always seemed to pop up whenever the last one was destroyed. Count me in."

"Yeah, you're right," Yamcha noted, "Anyway, you guys can count me in too."

"Me too," Chiaotzu said, "I may not be a great fighter, but my skills may come in handy."

"That goes for me too," Bulma said, before adding, "after all, you need someone with technical skill as well."

"Then I'll join too," a voice spoke from behind them. As the Z Fighters looked, they noticed Dr. Gero standing in the doorway, "See it as my way of repaying you for letting me continue my research here."

"Okay, now that that's dealt with," Roshi said, "the next issue. How are we going to finance this?"

"That shouldn't be a problem," Chichi noted, "the tax revenue of Fire Mountain should cover most of the upkeep, and Capsule Corp. can supply the equipment we'd need."

"Then I'll have an extra wing constructed with some bedrooms and a larger training room." Bulma said, "I think the one I had gave out under the amount of violence done by your aura's."

"Know what, I can even implement an artificial gravity generator in there as well." She continued, "I've heard Kami talk about a room in his Sanctuary that can do that."

"You can?" Yamcha asked, with a surprised look on his face, "But Kami doesn't HAVE machines up there, so how can you copy its effects?"

"Basically, I just need to make a few alterations to my weather simulator," Bulma told him, smirking, "although I need some time to run a few tests as well."

"Bulma, you're a genius," Yamcha smiled, earning a wink from Bulma, "what do you say we all call it a day? We'll go to Kami's place tomorrow."

"Yeah, you're right," Chiaotzu noted, stifling a yawn, "it's been a long day, and it's getting late. G'nite everyone."

Chiaotzu stood up and went to his bedroom, soon followed by the other Z Fighters. Bulma was the last one to leave, yet as she passed Gero, she heard him say something.

"Miss Briefs," Gero said, "there is something I've been wanting to ask you."

"Sure, go ahead," Bulma replied, "what's up?"

"Now that we're officially on the same side," Gero told her, "I propose a treaty."

"This sounds interesting," Bulma noted, "what exactly did you have in mind?"

"A cooperation, really. You grant me access to your research files, and I'll grant you access to mine." Gero offered, "You're working on a lot of innovative projects, and I know you're anxious to find out about the androids I keep in my pods."

"It sounds like we'd both benefit from it then," Bulma said "but we still have your rather... unfortunate reputation to deal with."

"There is a way to do that." Gero noted, "Undoubtedly, people will have heard in the past week that the Demon King Piccolo had returned."

"Now, there'll be a broadcast in which the Z Fighters state that Piccolo has been defeated again." Gero continued, "All I have to do is be in it as well..."

"... And because most people don't know who you are," Bulma finished, "we could leave a first impression of a saviour in their minds."

"That is correct, miss Briefs," Gero stated, "nothing they'll hear afterwards would be able to convince them otherwise, not even my... former occupations."

"Dr. Gero, we have an agreement. Capsule Corp.'s PR division will take care of the details." Bulma said, holding out her hand, "Welcome to Capsule Corp."

"Much as I would like to go over your research at this very moment, miss Briefs," Gero said, clasping his hands in Bulma's, "might I suggest awaiting the completion of the additional wing?"

"Sure, the current lab is a little too small with all the equipment you've brought with you." Bulma told him, "Oh and please, call me Bulma."

"Very well," Gero said, releasing Bulma's hand and turning towards the stairs, "I'll be looking forward to working with you and your father."

Bulma was glad Gero had already turned away, so he couldn't see the shock that had hit Bulma upon realising that her father knew nothing of this. She was worried that although her mother didn't mind if she'd invite Piccolo Daimao himself over for tea and cookies, her father would object.

What made things worse, was that her father knew EXACTLY who Dr. Gero was.

It had taken him a while to get used to Yamcha's appearance, but at least he hadn't known from the start what Yamcha did for a living. She could still remember the panic he was in when he found out, running around Capsule Corp. installing locks onto every door to keep his industrial secrets safe. How he would react to Gero in the house, she could only guess.

'I guess I'll pass that bridge when I cross it,' Bulma thought, vaguely wondering if it would be on fire, 'it's too late to turn back now...'

And with that, she went upstairs to get some sleep.

* * *

**A/N**: And that concludes me putting up what i had. My apologies to anyone who had this story faved (MrBump and Xyex) for having FFnet's update bot flood your mailboxes with seven new chapter alerts sweatdrops

Even though i won't be writing new fanfics (at least, not anytime soon), i'll still be updating this one with character bios from RP forums. I still make those, and a number of them i'm quite satisfied with... The first of whom i've already put up .


End file.
